Ash tray



March 12, 1935. J. J. WHARAM ASH TRAY Filed Nov. 17. 1933 INVEN TOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 12, I935 STATES PATENT OFFICE ASH TRAY John J. Wharam,Dear-born, Mich, assignor to Ford Motor Company, Deal-born, Mich, acortion oi Delaware 7 Application November 17, 1933, Serial No. 698,4l5

The object of my invention is to provide an ash tray especially suitablefor use on the instrument turd of an automobile.

My device is not intended to be an in th vehicle by the manufacturer.

Certain features are desirable in devices of this kind, namely:

The ash container should be conveniently accessible when desired butshould be readily closed or pushed out oi sight when not needed.

The device must not rattle, either when opened or closed.

The ash receiving opening should be covered when the device is closed toprevent draft from blowing ashes around the interior of the car.

The device should be and inconspicuous so as to be readily installed inany convenient althoughnometrical location on the mstrument board, whilethe ash container should have a large capacity. The container shouldfurther be re removable for emptying, and where the instrent board isgrained to re= sembie wood, the exposed portion of the device,especially if placed in a non-setrical positlon, should readily begrained to match the board and carry out the grain cozi thereon. some ofthese features have n incorporated in ash trays heretofore available,however, it is the purpose of this application to describe a devicewhich incorporates each and all of these features.

Still a further object of my invention is to provide a device or thecharacter described which will be comparatively inexpensive tomanufacture and which will require a negligible amount of service.

With these and other objects in View, my invention consists in thearrangement, construction and combination of the several partscomprising my improved device, as described in the specification,claimed in nry claims, and illus= trated n the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

Figure 1 shows a plan view of an instrument panel having my improved ashreceiver installed thereon.

Figure 2 shows a vertical, central, sectional view through my improvedash receiver, and Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 ofFigure 2.

Reierring to the accompanying drawing, I have used the reference numeral10 to indicate generally the instrument board associated with anautomobile body. This panel is provided with a cylindrical openingtherein, the opening having an inturned cylindrical flange 11therearound which is formed from the metal of the instrument board. Asleeve or container guide memher 12 is provided, this sleeve having oneend thereof expanded so as to fit over the flange 11, 5 the majorportion of the sleeve having the same diameter as the opening 10. Thisguide is spotwelded at several places to the flange 11 so that it ispermanently secured to the instrument board.

The container portion of this device comprises a tubular member 13whichiis about twice the length of the sleeve 12 and which tubularmember 13 has a head 14 secured in its rearmost end while the oppositeor front end is flanged inwardly as at 15. A groove 16 is stamped alongone side of the member 13 and extends almost the full length of thetube, that is, from the rearmost end to position spaced about one-halfinch from the flange 15. A flat spring 17 is secured to the sleeve 12 byrivets 18 and a detent is is formed on the rearmost end of this spring,the spring extending longitudinally relative to the sleeve 12. Thisspring is of such widththat it clinch flts within the groove 16 tothereby prevent rotation of the container 13.

Diametrically opposite to the groove 16 I have provided an elongatedopening 25 in the tube 13, which opening extends about one-half thelength of the tube. The opening is located toward the forward end oi?the tube so that upon moving the container outwardly the opening 25 willbe exposed in front 01' the instrument panel.

In order to form a closure for the forward end n of the tube 13 I haveprovided a washer 20 which is located on the inside oi the flange 15while a cap 21 covers the outside of this flange. A knob 22 is held inplace by means of a screw 23 which extends through central openings inthe washer 20 and cap 21 to thereby detachably secure the cap 21 to theflange 15 and fix the knob 22 in place.

In the device shown the forward end of the spring 17 is located so thatit shuts the jorward end of the groove 16 when the cap 21 is flush withthe instrument panel thereby forming a positive stop for the containerwhen in its closed position. In order to limit the normal outwardmovement of the container so that the opening 25 is exposed in front ofthe instrument panel but with the container still retained in the guidesleeve, I have provided a notch 24 in the bottom of the groove 16 andnear its rearmost end, into which notch the detent 19 is urged when the1,oos,eso

tube 13 is pulled outwordly to its normel open position.

In the normal omration the device, the operator siiriplg, pulls the knob22 until the detent 19 snaps into the notch 24. Wired it is desired toempty the device loads is pulled still farther against the action oftile deteut 19. "fire container is thus drawn free from the guide sleevei2.

It should be noted that opening 25 is completely covered by the sleeve13 when the con taiiier is closed to thereby preveot ashes from blowingaround the car.

A very important i'eature in connection with this device is that timesingle spring 1? forms a limiting stop for the closed position of thedevice. This spring also prevents rattling oi the com tainer. Stillfurther, the spring forms a. resilient means for limiting the normaloutward movemerit of the container to its open position. And stillfurther, the spring terms a means for positively preventing rotation ofthe container.

it will further be noted that the detachable cap oi may be convenientlypaneled or grained while the instrument board is being finished. .lnstrumeet boards in most automotive vehicles are at the present time made oimetal and in most of these vehicles the metal is grained to resemblevarious kinds of wood. Probably the best and at least the mostextensively used graining process comprises, photographing e treatedwooden panel upon a sensitized copper plate, then etching the plate,then applying ink to the etched plate, then transien'ing this design toa soft rubber roller and then transferring the design from the roller tothe instrument board. In transferring the design from the roller to theboard, the former is simply rolled over the board so that if the design02; the grain on the cap 21 is to csrry out the com figuration or thedesign of the rest of the graining, then the cop must be inserted in theinstrument panel opening when the graining is being done. This proceduremay be accomplished with the applicants device whereas, if the cap wereintegral with the container, then it would be impractical to grain boththe container and instrument boerd simultaneously.

It is highly desirable that the 'graining of the cap match theinstrument board because in many installations the ash receiver may notbe placed in position symmetrical to the instruments on the board sothat any contrast between the finish on the cap and board will notcreate a-pleasing impression. The applicant's cap 21 may be formed,grained, varnished and robbed, simu1- taneously with the instrumentboard so that finally when the board is assembled in a car and theinstruments are being installed, then this cap may be fastened to theIorward end of the ash container and rotated until the grainconfiguration matches the board at which position it may be secured.

Some changes may be made in the arrangement, construction andcombination of the various parts of my improved device without departingfrom the spirit of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by myclaims, such changes as may reasonably be included within the scopethereof.

I claim as my iiiventice:

1. An ssh receiver especislly suitable for installotion upon theinstrument panel of an automo bile comprising, a guide sleeve fixedlysecured to said instrument panel iii position projecting rear wordlytherefrom, o resilient detest associated with said sleeve, 2, containermember siidably mounted to move lengthwise in said sleeve, saidcontainer having a. longitudinally extending groove in one well tliereolin which sold detect slides and said groove leaving at notch thereininto which said detect is urverl when the container is withdrawn to itsiiorroel opera position, sold detent resiliently resisting ompletewithdrawal of said container from c; detest positively resistingrotation of said conteiner in said guide sleeve.

A device, as claimed in claim 1, said sleeve and container comprise opair of concentrically disposed tubular members.

3. A device, as clouded in claim 1, wherein said resilient detentcomprises a riot lest spring, the iree end or which is deformed to formsaid detect.

Au ssh receiver especially suitable for instah lotion upon theinstrument panel oi so. entomobile comprising, a. tubulsr guide sleevefixedly secured to said instrument panel in position pro jectingrearwardly therefrom, a flat leaf spring having its forward end securedto the forward interior portion of said sleeve, so that said spring maydeflect radially with the lree end of said spring extending axially andrearwardly through said sleeve, and said free end Iorming a detent, etubular container slidably mounted to move lengthwise in said guidesleeve, said container having a longitudinally extending groove formedin one wall thereof in which said spring is disposed so that rotation ofsaid container in the sleeve is prevented, said groove also having anotch formed therein into which said detent is urged when the containeris withdrawn to its normal open position, tire fixed end of said springmeeting with the forward end of said groove to term a stop which.cleilnesthe closed position of said container.

5. A device, as claimed in. claim 4. wherein said guide sleeve ismounted in s horizontal position with said spring disposed along itslower side, and wherein said tubular container is provided with anopening in its upper forward portion, which opening is completelycovered by the guide sleeve when the container is in its closedposition.

6. An ash receiver especially suitable for installation upon aninstrument panel or an automobile, said panel having been grained toresemble wood, comprising, a guide sleeve fixedly secured to saidinstrument board in position projecting rearwardly therefrom, a tubularcontainer slidably mounted in said sleeve having a longitudinallyextending groove formed therein, a spring urged detent fixed to saidsleeve, said detent coacting with said groove to positively resistrotary movement of said container and resiliently resist longitudinalmovement thereof, and the detach able cap secured over the exposed endof said container in position flush with the instrument board, said capbeing grained so that its design carries out the configuration of saidboard.

JOHN J. WHARAM.

s guide sleeve said y

